


XOXO

by Sheska



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bickering, Christmas, Don't worry about the rating, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gavin has a filthy mouth this isn't news, Insecurity, M/M, Online Dating, Online Romance, Revelations, Swearing, Teasing, Very mild traces of angst, chat, oblivious gavin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 13:21:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16765954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheska/pseuds/Sheska
Summary: Gavin isn't lonely. It's just that being single while surrounded by more or less happy couples sucks balls, especially with the holidays right around the corner. So he gets on a dating app. He doesn't expect much of anything, until a weird, sassy stranger sends him a message.





	XOXO

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! What am I doing? Well, posting a story. Another one. It's not like I have two unfinished longer ones already. But this idea got me all excited and it's a really funny (haha, probably not, I suck at comedic stuff), fluffy, near angst free ... no longer one shot. Two shot probably. Three shot at most.  
> I don't have a real chapter song, but I must admit that I wrote most of the chapter to Love At First Sight by The Brobecks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxaW60I-hvA)  
> Enjoy!

Gavin wasn't lonely.

At least that was what he told himself as he stared at the Christmas advertisements featuring smiling couples in all their glorious, artificial bliss.

This was stupid and he knew it. Nobody was ever truly as happy as those fake-smile-ladden stock photo people. He knew how much Tina and her fiancée got into fights that ended up in either screaming matches or reconciliation sex. For some inexplicable reason, he was her go-to-guy to vent about stuff like that, despite his bored one word answers. Or because of those; he would never know and certainly never ask.

And family time for Chris meant stress, especially around Christmas. Working out a schedule for celebrations and visits that would appease his wife, parents, in-laws and extended family – without making his one year old child grumpy. Yeah, like that would ever work.

Then why the fuck was he so pissed off about the fact that he was single? He didn't even know if he was the relationship type. He'd never tried or even wanted to try.

Until now.

Gavin groaned, pulling his phone out of his pocket to open the app store. He was baffled by his own actions as he selected a random dating app to install and clicked to proceed.

This was a mistake. A terrible mistake.

Then again, if this did go as horribly as he expected it to go, maybe it would cure this odd obsession with romance, something he didn't trust at all, anyway.

He just shrugged to himself and adjusted his scarf to cover his mouth in the harsh December weather of Detroit. Time to get home already.

\---

As it turned out, setting up a dating profile was something of a mystery. He hadn't bothered reading the terms of service or privacy agreement – if companies or the government wanted his data, they had ways to get there, anyway, especially in the age of wireless data transfer.

What he probably should have bothered with was the annoying tutorial he had skipped. Then again, it only would have told him _where_ to enter certain info – he was smart enough to figure that shit out, thank you very much – not _what_ to enter. Which was what he was having trouble with.

The common things like age, interests, taste in music and the like were dry and boring as hell (did anyone read those anyway?) and the important stuff, aka the bio, seemed to follow the rule of the stranger, the better. At least from what he had seen while scrolling through a few random profiles in his area – none of which had clicked with him.

Yeah, no. He wasn't even going to try hard with that at all. He wasn't a 20-something college grad anymore, with more sass than he had any right to have. He was 37 and desperate, for whatever reason.

Maybe this was just a biological clock thing he had to get over with, as stupid as that was. He had no desire to start a family, hell, he wasn't even sure he wanted to marry one day. And certainly no woman, as he was gay as fuck. Good thing this dating app came with a gender preference setting. Thanks very much.

Creating a user name had been torture on its own. He certainly hadn't been willing to use his real name on this app (what if a colleague found this shit?), so he had wrecked his brain until he had picked out the title of a song he'd listened to while growing up; Pet Cheetah.

It was stupid, probably obnoxious, strange. In short, it was perfect. The fact that it was a weird enough name to possibly be a conversation starter was an added bonus in his book.

The rest of the stuff, though ... The boring shit. Yeah, he really wasn't feeling it.

With a bone deep sigh he entered his age, because that was a requirement, and left the rest of the optional stuff blank. If anyone really cared about the kind of movies he liked, they could just fucking ask.

As for the bio ... Well, he could describe himself, but he was kind of an asshole – a fact he was very much aware of himself – so there was no point in making himself look good, just to scare any potential dates off in person.

Not to mention, he didn't even know what he wanted, anyway. Not just a fuck, that was for sure. He could easily get one without a damn app. Having to work out for his job regularly and being somewhat attractive had its perks.

Friendship was an option, new people, likely singles, who wouldn't ditch him during the holidays to be lovey dovey with their significant others. Maybe that would take his mind off this strange loneliness he was feeling, but he had no illusions of finding people interested in actual friendship on a fucking dating app. He wasn't that naive.

Gavin leaned back, frowning at his phone and biting his lip.

Ah, fuck it. Better be blunt about not having a clue and weed out the ones looking for one night stands and the faint of heart in the process.

He went to typing a short text, almost furiously mashing the tiny keyboard on his screen. He read through it again afterward, making sure there were no embarrassing spelling errors or anything, before he saved what he had written.

_First off: Don't bother asking for sex in the first message. I am not looking for a hookup. What the fuck am I doing here, then? Let me be upfront: I've got no fucking clue. I want to meet someone, I guess. Because being surrounded by more or less happy couples sucks balls, especially during the holidays._

_I don't have a lot of expectations for this to work. I'm an asshole. I swear way too fucking much, I am moody and angry and a workaholic. And I'll probably die before I turn 45, because my diet consists of caffeine in every form and fast food._

_If this turns you off, fine by me. If I'm still single after New Years, I'll just (fucking finally) get a cat or two or ten and live out my life as a crazy cat person._

That had to suffice. He sure as hell wasn't going to edit that disaster any further.

Now, did he want to add a picture? He knew most people skipped profiles without pictures, but he wasn't willing to just take a selfie and upload it. Stock images weren't his style either and he had no creative hobbies to show off. Or any hobbies for that matter.

An idea crossed his mind. He could take a selfie, as long it wasn't too obvious that it was him, right?

He walked into his bathroom, turning on the hallway light, but leaving the bathroom itself dark. A glimpse into the mirror revealed his face, half hidden in darkness, half illuminated by the faint glow from outside, the contrast of light and shadow accentuating the line of his jaw and his cheekbones.

The lighting made his features just barely recognizable, but he was quite sure not even Tina would have been able to make the connection without a side by side comparison.

He took the pic, pleased by how it turned out on camera. That would definitely do.

Now all he had to do was wait for reactions.

\---

And reactions he got. Shit, he should have known this was a mistake. No, scratch that, he _had_ known this was a mistake – and he'd done it anyway.

Apparently, reading the bio wasn't something most people did. Not even the first fucking sentence. Because the amount of people asking for sex was unbelievable. From sleazy comments begging him to become their "pet" (god, the name had been a mistake after all) to standard messages like "Sex?" he'd seen just about anything within the first two hours.

Including unsolicited dick pics. Classy.

At some point, it became so annoying that Gavin stopped responding to messages of that kind outright. Not even telling them to go fuck themselves was worth the energy he'd have to spend.

He was just about to call the experiment a failure when a new message popped up on his screen. And Gavin, while apprehensive, was also too curious for his own good. Which was why he opened the app on his way back from the fridge, beer in hand.

_**Bot-51 Today at 10:37 PM:** _

_Cheetahs are fascinating creatures and quite cute. I must inform you, however, that they don't make for good pets. It is hard to recreate species-appropriate living conditions and they are impossible to domesticate._

That. Gavin didn't know what that was, but something about it made him almost spit out his beer in laughter.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 10:38 PM:** _

_I didn't expect anyone to take this literally, wow_

Wait, did his teasing tone come across or did he come off as a prick? He didn't want to pretend to be a nice, patient person, but he didn't want appear insulting or easily offended towards the first person who'd bothered to start of with something other than a request for sex.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 10:38 PM:** _

_Your message managed to get a laugh out of me! Plus one can dream, right?_

_**Bot-51 Today at 10:39 PM:** _

_I'm sorry, I was trying to make a joke. I'm not very good at it, it often comes across as too factual to be taken in a funny way._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 10:39 PM:** _

_Like I said, you made me laugh, it's fine. I wasn't being totally serious either_

_**Bot-51 Today at 10:39 PM:** _

_:)_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 10:40 PM:** _

_Is that a text emoji? People still use these?!_

_**Bot-51 Today at 10:40 PM:** _

_I like the way it looks._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 10:42 PM:** _

_Huh.... You're weird._

_**Bot-51 Today at 10:42 PM:** _

_At least I'm not the one daydreaming about pet cheetahs._

Damn, this guy was odd, but also somewhat funny. Gavin could feel the smile creeping onto his lips as he typed a response. Time to be a little more daring.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 10:43 PM:** _

_I mean, you could always daydream about one specific Pet Cheetah._

Nothing.

Bot-51 (weird fucking name for someone who was decidedly not a bot, at least if Gavin's first impression of the chat was anything to go by) fell silent. His icon indicated that he was still online, however. Had he scared him off? Was he so rusty that his flirting was enough to knock a potential partner out of the race straight away?

Nah, the guy had probably left to grab something to eat or whatever. Or respond to other messages. It wasn't like Gavin was the only one on this app.

Still, he was too curious to just leave the conversation for now. On a whim, he opened the profile, surprised by the amount of information that greeted him, along with stock photo of a puppy and a kitten snuggling. Odd choice for a dating app, but he had to admit that it was honestly fucking adorable. He really should get himself a cat. A kitten like the one in the picture possibly. Or a mean, old bastard of a cat. Yeah, that'd fit him.

He noticed that instead of listing actual movies, music and books he liked, Bot-51 had listed a variety of genres, some of which Gavin hadn't even heard of before (What the fuck was Trip Hop?) and from the looks of it, there wasn't much he didn't at least dabble in.

Either someone with many interests or curiosities. Or someone pretending to be more facetious than he really was to draw more attention. Time would tell. That was, if Bot-51 ever decided to reply to him.

In contrast to the profile info, the bio was surprisingly short.

_Hello! I go by Bot-51 on this app. I would very much like to interact with you and form connections. I am new to this, but I am willing to learn._

_Friendships and romantic interest are both welcome. I want to have new, positive experiences._

Wow. Just wow. That was so naive, it hurt. Gavin didn't even want to think about all the creeps hitting on this awkward, odd guy. He came across as awfully young and inexperienced (duh, he had pretty much said something like that in his bio text).

How old was he, anyway? Gavin's eyes darted up to the top of the page, widening in shock when he found the little number next to the user name.

Holy fuck, the guy was only 27? That was quite the age difference. Not that Gavin paid much attention to things like that, but it was certainly unexpected. He almost felt like a creep now, but considering that Bot-51 had messaged him first, he guessed it was fine, right?

That begged the question why any sane 20-something would hit up an (in comparison) old guy like him. He hadn’t given the impression of being rich in any way (he wasn’t) or being interested in any age/daddy kink stuff (the thought alone made him shudder). If anything, the only thing he had stated clearly was that he was an asshole. Dunno, maybe the kid was into that.

… And he should really stop calling him kid before it turned into a thing, that was just creepy.

Whelp, time for another beer. Or five.

\---

_**Bot-51 Today at 12:34 AM:** _

_I’m sorry for the late response. I had urgent matters to attend to. I must also admit that it took me a while to figure out your last message. I take it you were trying to flirt. Very nice._

_Very nice._ What kind of response was that? Gavin let out a snort in amusement, rolling over to his stomach on the couch so he could type without holding his phone above him. He’d dropped it right on his face before, while being significantly less drunk than now. More than once.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 12:36 AM:** _

‘ _s fine dw ur still weird btw_

_Made me snort tho ngl_

_**Bot-51 Today at 12:37 AM:** _

_Your change in spelling and punctuation suggests to that you are possibly inebriated. Did you drink?_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 12:38 AM:** _

_Yeh I did._

_**Bot-51 Today at 12:38 AM:** _

_It’s a weeknight._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 12:39 AM:** _

_Yep nice observation_

God, Gavin had never been this glad for spell check before, he was missing the keys constantly. Benefits of technology or something.

_**Bot-51 Today at 12:40 AM:** _

_Aren’t you concerned about work in the morning?_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 12:41 AM:** _

_Nope. Just what was it_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 12:42 AM:** _

_Right yeah YOLO_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 12:43 AM:** _

_Fuck I’m old._

_That memes been dead since before I hit puberty._

_**Bot-51 Today at 12:44 AM:** _

_You are not old. 37 isn’t even half of the average life expectancy of males in North America._

What.

_**Bot-51 Today at 12:45 AM:** _

_Additionally, I looked up “YOLO”, and while I agree with the assessment that human beings only have one life, I fail to see how self-destructive or risky behavior is of any benefit._

Wow. Just wow. What even was this guy? And why was Gavin grinning so much his cheeks were starting to hurt?

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 12:46 AM:** _

_Ur rly smth else_

_Way to pep talk an old geezer like me_

_Ur only halfway to the grave and all, dw_

_Nice going_

_\+ memes ain’t about making sense_

_That’s why they’re memes_

_**Bot-51 Today at 12:48 AM:** _

_I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put the message about your age that way._

Damn, as awkward as this guy was, he was kind of cute with how much he cared about not being an ass towards him. And at least not the least bit sleazy or boring. Almost like he was Gavin’s polar opposite. Well, what was the saying? Opposites attract, right?

Gavin was just about to reply that it was fine and not to take him too seriously, when a new message appeared on screen.

_**Bot-51 Today at 12:48 AM:** _

_Given that you are willing to stay up late and drink on a weeknight, in addition to what you wrote on your profile about your eating habits and work ethic, I’d wager your life expectancy is significantly shorter than the average._

Little shit. Gavin couldn’t help but laugh, burying his face in one of the pillows strewn across the couch.

This guy had some spice. And damn him if that wasn’t kind of hot.

Barely anyone in his life dared to fire shots back at him, except for Tina (bless her), Hank and, well, Connor. Chris was more of a stern talking to kind of person, much like Fowler.

None of those people were an option when it came to dating. Tina because she was both female and in a lesbian relationship, Chris because he was married, and the thought of even flirting with Fowler (who was also married) or Hank sent all kinds of bad shivers down his spine. Nope, thanks, he’d pass.

As for Connor … He was objectively attractive and they did get along a lot better by now, mostly by ignoring each other instead of fighting. But given their rough beginning, he had no illusions about a possible romantic future. Never in a million years. Not that he was interested, anyway. He wasn’t desperate enough for a plastic boyfriend yet.

He sighed, only looking up again when he felt his phone buzzing in his hand.

_**Bot-51 Today at 12:55 AM:** _

_Was that too much? I’m still trying to get the hang of “teasing”._

Time to get back to the adorable/hot mystery man at the other end of the … chat? Line wasn’t quite the right word.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 12:57 AM:** _

_Nah it’s fine. Fun even._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 12:58 AM:** _

_Tbh a bit of banter makes for great foreplay._

_**Bot-51 Today at 12:58 AM:** _

_You are quite forward._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 12:59 AM:** _

_Well if I'm gonna croak soon I don't have time to waste_

_**Bot.51 Today at 12:59 AM:** _

_Fair point_

_:)_

Damn this guy and his smiley faces. For whatever reason, all Gavin could picture in his mind while reading was Connor's lopsided grin. Why was he thinking about that?

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:02 AM:** _

_Jesus Christ ur weird_

Funny how that statement applied to him as much as his chat partner.

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:02 AM:** _

_You like me being weird, don't you? You've been flirting with me, after all._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:03 AM:** _

_Wow kinky_

_But true_

_Honestly u remind me of someon_ e

Holy shit, what was he doing? Why was his brain going back to Connor _again_?

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:04 AM:** _

_Really? Who do I remind you of?_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:04 AM:** _

_Nobody. Coworker. 's not important._

There was a pause. A halt in the conversation. Up until now the messages had been fluid, fast, even with Gavin fumbling on his phone, buzzed as he was. Now a few minutes passed before another reply came in.

_**Bot 51 Today at 01:12 AM:** _

_Interesting. Would you rather be flirting with that coworker than me?_

Shit. Had he fucked this up already? To hell with his lack of a filter. He didn't have much of one to begin with, but alcohol was a surefire way to kill any semblance of common sense.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:12 AM:** _

_Fuck I'm sorry! Forget I said anything. I'm talking & flirting wi/ u not him, ain't I? _

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:13 AM:** _

_I'm not mad, just curious._

_And I'm glad you're talking to me._

_:)_

… Ah, fuck it.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:13 AM:** _

_:)_

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:13 AM:** _

_:) <3_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:14 AM:** _

…

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:14 AM:** _

_Too much?_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:15 AM:** _

_You do you, weirdo._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:16 AM:** _

_Wait I've not even asked what to call you!! I'm Gavin_

Again with the pauses! Had he said something wrong? Or maybe Bot-51 was busy again. Or he'd fallen asleep, it was fucking late.

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:19 AM:** _

_Would you mind calling me Bot? I'm not sure giving out my real name would be a good idea._

Odd. Then again, Gavin had been apprehensive about putting up a profile pic and this guy's profile had talked about him being new to this. Plus, given all the horror stories online, about the dangers of meeting strangers on the internet, he had no reason to deny that request.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:21 AM:** _

_Alright. I'd love to know your name once you're comfortable with that. But no pressure_

_Just one question: Why Bot? Isn't that kinda weird?_

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:23 AM:** _

_If it's weird, doesn't it fit me perfectly? ;)_

Here he went again, catching Gavin off guard and making him laugh. This guy really was something else.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:23 AM:** _

_Fair point, weirdo_

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:24 AM:** _

_All jokes aside, my user name was chosen by a friend of mine. She thought it was hilarious and I have to admit that I have grown to like it. My friend also helped me set up the rest of the app as well. I found it kind of overwhelming._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:26 AM:** _

_Fucking preach. I spent hours thinking about my user name and profile and then just put whatever down._

_It's fucking weird and embarrassing tbh ..._

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:27 AM:** _

_It did get my attention._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:27 AM:** _

_True_

_Maybe it’s not all bad_

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:28 AM:** _

_See, there’s a bright side to everything._

_I especially appreciate your honesty and bluntness. I have trouble reading between the lines sometimes, that is why people clearly saying what they mean is a huge help._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:29 AM:** _

_Oh shit, you’re an optimist! And crazy if you consider me stating I’m an asshole a positive._

_Can’t promise I’ll always be blunt, I love the occasional innuendo and sarcasm_

Gavin took a look at the clock, groaning. He should move to his bedroom or he would end up crashing on the couch. But he was comfortable (for now) and warm and even though he wasn’t really all that tipsy anymore (yay for a great metabolism), he felt more relaxed than he had in a long while.

He sighed, going back to reading Bot’s reply.

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:30 AM:** _

_A harsh exterior doesn’t deter me. I believe there’s more to you. You have been very accommodating so far._

_As for not always being blunt, I’m getting progressively better at identifying things like double meanings and puns. Be patient._

_I believe there’s more to you._

Fuck, this stranger on the internet had a higher opinion of him than Gavin himself. Possibly because they hadn't met each other in person yet, but he shouldn't dwell on that.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:30 AM:** _

_You’ll get plenty of practice if you stick with me._

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:30 AM:** _

_Gladly._

_:) :)_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:31 AM:** _

_Okay. This is getting ridiculous._

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:31 AM:** _

_What is?_

_:)_

_:)_

_:)_

_:)_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:33 AM:** _

_Fuck you, I'm going to bed._

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:33 AM:** _

_Good, it's late. And you have work tomorrow._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:33 AM:** _

_Don't remind me ... I need get up at 5_

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:34 AM:** _

_That's not a healthy amount of sleep._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:34 AM:** _

_You tell me_

_Gonna have to drown myself in coffee tmrw_

_(What about you though? No work?)_

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:35 AM:** _

_That's also not healthy._

_(And don't worry about me, I'll be fine.)_

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:35 AM:** _

_I know- that's why I'm gonna die at 45._

_(And why do you get to worry about me and I don't get to worry about you? Not fair!)_

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:36 AM:** _

_Not if I can help it. Sleep. Now. And drink some water before bed._

_Your texting skills suggest that you are less inebriated by now, but taking the necessary precautions to prevent a hangover is always a good idea._

Jesus Christ, maybe befriending (and flirting with) this pedantic little asshole hadn't been the best of ideas.

Then why the fuck was he smiling as he read the messages?

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:38 AM:** _

_Yes mom_

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:38 AM:** _

_I take it that's a mocking response to me caring about your health._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:38 AM:** _

_Wow you're picking up on this fast! I'm almost impressed_

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:39 AM:** _

_I have my moments._

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:39 AM:** _

_Clearly._

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:42 AM:** _

_See you tomorrow?_

The question mark, the tiny hint of insecurity, made something in Gavin go all soft and gooey all of a sudden. With all the strange and unusually formal responses and the teasing, he had almost forgotten that this person probably had even less of a clue when it came to dating. Gavin could at least safely say that he had enough charm (or sass that could pass for charm) to at least get laid every once in while.

With a smirk and sigh, he typed out a response, not bothering to be a dick about pointing out that they couldn't exactly _see_ each other on a dating app.

_**Pet_Cheetah Today at 01:43 AM:** _

_See you tomorrow._

_Goodnight Bot_

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:43 AM:** _

_Goodnight, Gavin!_

He turned off the screen and forced himself off of the couch, wincing as he left the warmth of the cushions. Time to head to the bathroom and then straight to bed.

Gavin was just barely out of the room before the phone buzzed in his hand again. Another message.

He expected a normal text or even a stupid smiley face.

What he didn't expect was the actual message that greeted him.

_**Bot-51 Today at 01:45 AM:** _

_XOXO_

When he dropped his phone in disbelief and it fell right on his toe, he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the awkward absurdity of the situation (as well as the pain). He settled for cursing up a storm and hobbling on to the bedroom.

Screw personal hygiene. He was so done.


End file.
